First mental health nursing scholarship recipients announced

Thursday 4 January 2018: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today announces the first two recipients of its mental health scholarship awards: Waleed Lightbourne and Janai Coldwell. The scholarships were newly established this year and are administered by BHB. This year, they were funded with donations from the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust.

Recipients of the award must have completed the two-year Bermuda College Associate’s Degree in Nursing. The two year scholarship pays $40,000 per year to attend Northampton University so the recipient can complete their Bachelor’s Nursing Degree in Mental Health.

Chief Operating Officer R Scott Pearman comments: “I am proud to see the first two recipients of the mental health scholarship awards announced and would like to thank the BHCT for the donation that has launched them. Our mental health services need Bermudian nurses for the stability and future leadership of on-island services. The Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute will see many of their senior nursing staff retire over the next five years, so we are greatly encouraged to see the next generation start their training.”

Chief of Nursing Judy Richardson adds: “Congratulations to Mr Lightbourne and Ms Caldwell! I’m always excited to see new nurses qualify and it is especially pleasing to see two talented and committed Bermudians choose a nursing pathway in mental health. It is a highly fulfilling professional career to choose, with opportunities, if wanted, to advance through different areas and eventually move into higher levels of management. I look forward to seeing them return home after training.”

Waleed Lightbourne: Waleed graduated from the Bermuda College with his associate’s degree in 2015. He was the first Bermudian male to graduate from the Nursing Programme. Waleed is currently working in BHB’s nurse internship programme in the Acute Care Wing of KEMH.

Janai Caldwell: Janai’s interest in psychiatric nursing was peaked during her tenure as a community support worker in the Learning Disability Department at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, a post she currently works in. She decided to go back to school to gain her RN designation and attained her associate’s degree in nursing in May 2017.

Notes to Editors
The Bermuda Hospitals Board is a quango (quasi autonomous non-governmental organisation) established under the Bermuda Hospitals Board Act, 1970. It has a Bermuda Government-approved Board and a Chief Executive Officer, responsible for King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute. At the heart of both organisations is high-quality care to all patients.

With approximately 1,700 employees, the Bermuda Hospitals Board is Bermuda's second largest employer. King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute are the only healthcare organisations in Bermuda accredited by Accreditation Canada, an independent organisation whose role is to help hospitals examine and improve the quality of care and service they provide to their clients. In addition to providing an extensive list of services for the community, the Bermuda Hospitals Board is part of a referral network that includes some of the world's leading specialist hospitals.